It’s the county Down native’s second time hosting the greatest TV show on Earth and if he’s feeling any pre-show nerves, he’s not showing it. But he is admitting it.
"Happy Toy Show Day!" he says, before adding: "I’m pretending it’s the calm before the storm. The calm has disappeared, John. The storm is already here..."
Last year’s was his first time taking on a cast of kids, a ton of toys and a viewership of 1.71 million, making it the most-watched programme on Irish television in 2023. No surprise there, of course.
Added to that, the show was seen in no fewer than 158 countries across the globe. There are a lot of eyes on it. So how did he feel it went last year, like, given that half the planet was tuning in?
"I don’t know!" he laughs. "That’s the answer! Anybody who thinks they know how that show goes when you’re stuck in the middle of it – it's just a blizzard.
"Once the starting pistol goes, once those opening titles go and you get your opening number and you’re right there, it’s such an enjoyable show to do. To be in the middle of that...
"And the brilliant thing about the show is, the kids are the stars tonight. We've got some brilliant kids. We've got some great toys. We’ve got some really, really good performances tonight. I’m excited. I’m excited to get back again."
One of the many things that makes The Late Late Toy Show special is that each year has a Yuletide-related theme. Usually, it’s a reference to a much-loved Christmas movie. This year’s focus is on a Macauley Culkin classic.
There could be a lot of fun to be had here. Stairs may be involved.
"The theme tonight is Home Alone," says Patrick. "We’ve gone classic, so for people of a certain vintage like you and me, we remember it from the first time round.
Watch: Take a sneak peek behind the scenes at this year's Toy Show with Florence Okojie
We need your consent to load this comcast-player contentWe use comcast-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
"For younger viewers tonight, what’s good about it is that, normally the Toy Show pushes the grown-ups out of the way and the kids take over.
"With Home Alone there are no grown-ups," he adds. "Kevin’s in charge, anything can happen – so, hopefully, that’s what's coming your way later."
Given all the effort that goes into putting The Late Late Toy Show on every year, does Patrick now fully appreciate the amount of work that Santa and his team put into making Christmas happen for so many boys and girls across the globe?
Clearly in awe of the Big Man with the white beard (and the reindeer, let's not forget the reindeer), Kielty almost genuflects at the mention of his name.
"If you think that the effort they’re putting in here – I mean, this doesn’t even touch the sides compared to Santa," he concedes. "Compared to Santa and what’s going on currently.
"We’re trying to get a hotline there, to see what they’re doing. We know that what they’ve sent us so far, for the kids that actually wrote to us [ahead of] tonight, is amazing. So, we’ve got to thank the Big Man for that.
"Hopefully, after tonight, if somebody sees something that they like and they’re well-behaved – but only if they’re well-behaved – they might be getting a visit from the great man on the day."
Time’s running out as Kielty needs to put the final preparations in place for tonight. Just a few seconds for one last question: if he could ask Santy for something to give to everyone in the Toy Show audience, what would that be?
His answers should get every parent in Ireland nodding in agreement and wishing they’d added it to their wish list for Christmas.
"I would ask Santa Claus to provide every parent with a DIY person with a screwdriver and drill, so that, on Christmas morning, all the stuff you would normally have to put up - swimming in Lego - someone else can do that for us. And we just get to play with the toys!
"Please Santa! Make it happen!"
And with that, Patrick Kielty was gone - and won't be seen again until tonight.
Read more:
The 23 Best Toy Show Moments Ever!
Watch: ISL Toy Show team ready to 'share magic' of show with deaf children
.svg)